Questions & Answers

Our customer support team will get back to you within 1-2 working days

We know from experience that buying products online can be a doubtful process due to uncertainty about the ordering process, or even a general lack of information about the products themselves. That’s why we want you to be 100% informed about our products and procedures before your purchase. :)

You have questions?

The following FAQs definitely answer a lot of questions in advance.

You have a problem?

To help us help you as quickly as possible, please fill out the online Service form.

In case that’s not possible for you, you’re naturally welcome to reach us at hello@holzkern.com.

Payment, Order, Shipping

What is the advantage of making a customer account?

Click this link to create a customer account. After creating an account with us you will have an overview of all your past orders as well as the status of your current order, and you won't need to enter your personal information again for subsequent purchases.

What payment options are available?

I haven’t received an order confirmation yet. What's going on?

Once you have completed an order in the online shop, you will receive an order confirmation via e-mail within one hour.

If you haven't received this e-mail within an hour, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

You might have entered the wrong e-mail address

The confirmation e-mail was flagged as spam and it's waiting for you in your spam folder

The order wasn't completed successfully. Please check your customer account to see if the order was actually entered into our system. If it hasn't, please submit the order again.

How does shipment work?

Shipment is free of charge for all of our customers. After placing your order you will receive an order confirmation e-mail and your order will be prepared for dispatch within the following 24 hours (except for orders placed during the weekend). Once your order has been prepared for dispatch and handed over to our carrier we'll send you a shipping confirmation email with a tracking number. Our products are delivered within 5-10 days following payment processing by UPS or DHL (exception: pre-orders, when we don ́t have your product in stock).

Do you offer engravings?

We currently don't offer personalized engravings, although it is easily possible to engrave your model at a jeweler or watch store of your choice.

Because the structures of wood and stone are unique with every piece, each model is already a personally unique piece of nature.

Do you offer customized pieces?

We currently don't offer any individual customizations. We ask for your understanding as we want to be equally fair toward all of our customers.

Can I change my order afterwards?

We've set things up so that your order will be processed and shipped within a very brief window of time. In this way we can guarantee fast delivery times, but are unable to make any retrospective changes once your order has been completed.

Appearance, Material, Function

I just received my awesome Holzkern watch, how do I start it up?

To offer a large variety, our range features various models (automatic watches, solar watches, quartz watches) with different functions.

To get the most out of your piece of nature, it's best to read the manual on the respective product page before starting up your watch. To go to the product page of your model, you can use the search function on the top right (magnifying glass icon).

I have a solar watch, how do I start it up?

Our solar watches are powered by light, so it's not necessary to change the battery of the watch.

Before commissioning your solar-powered watch, it must be exposed to five hours of sunlight or powered under a lamp (distance 20cm) for 60 hours (glow-lamp 30W/LED 6W/375 Lumen) to fully charge the power reserve.

Be careful not to expose the watch to excessive heat (bright midday sun) to prevent damage.

In order to ensure continuous operation, the watch should be worn for at least three hours a day however during winter time, it has to be occasionally charged under a lamp.

The detailed manual can be found on the respective product page of your model - for that feel free to use the search function on the top right (magnifying glass icon).

I have a model with a stopwatch function (=chronograph), how does it work?

Our chronographic models feature an integrated stopwatch function. To use the stopwatch function, press the upper and bottom button to start/stop and reset it.

The detailed manual can be found on the respective product page - for that feel free to use the search function on the top right (magnifying glass icon).

I just got an automatic watch, how do I set it up?

Automatic watches are able to operate without a battery because its mainspring is wound automatically through motion during regular use. Once fully wound, our automatic watches should operate for 30-40 hours. In the event you don’t wear your automatic watch for a day, it's possible that you'll have to manually wind the watch and re-adjust the time. To fully wind your automatic watch simply turn the crown clockwise up to 40 times or until you feel a slight resistance. Your automatic watch should now be ticking away and continue to do so for up to 40 hours or as long as you continue to wear it.

The detailed manual can be found on the respective product page - for that feel free to use the search function on the top right (magnifying glass icon).

How does my watch perform in daily life? How does it feel on the wrist?

The first thing you'll notice when you try on a wood watch is that wood is considerably lighter than steel. The light-weight properties and the particular haptic of wood ensure a pleasant experience for your wrist, especially during hotter months in the year. Generally speaking, the watches don ́t require any additional maintenance; however, because wood is an organic material which can be damaged with excessive force, we urge the wearer to handle the watches appropriately.

Is my wood watch waterproof?

A few splashes of water from washing the dishes shouldn't be a problem for our watches. However, we advise that you prevent your wood watch from coming into contact with water in general. Please take off your watch when you take a shower, a bath, wash your hands, go swimming, wash your car, wash your dog, run through a sprinkler, engage in a water-balloon fight, etc.

Do Holzkern products contain Nickel?

No, all the metal components in our products are made of nickel-free stainless steel.

Why does my watch look different than the one I saw in the online shop?

One might look similiar standing next to another, but you can be certain that every tree and every stone is unique, and because we use these natural materials in our products, it's only natural that all of our products are unique. The textures and color of products made using natural materials can be very distinct from one model to the next, making it truly your very own piece of nature :)

Returns, Replacement, Withdrawal

What should I do if I received a faulty product?

All of our watches are hand-made and checked to meet high quality standards, so mistakes seldom occur and we are proud of that.

Is it possible to return my Holzkern watch?

If your watch is still new and has not yet been worn, you have the right to return your watch within 24 days and receive a full refund. If you wish to do, so please fill in the withdrawal form (to the withdrawal form) and send your watch to following address: Autokaderstraße 33/11.3, 1210 Vienna, Austria. Please keep in mind that you will bear the cost for return shipment in this case.

Please enclose the withdrawal form in the package to ensure speedy processing.

We're always interested in improving our performance and your feedback helps, so if you'd like to let us know how we're doing please write at hello@holzkern.com. :)

Is it possible to exchange my Holzkern watch for another model?

An exchange is possible if your watch is still new and has not yet been worn and you haven't missed the return deadline (24 days after receiving the watch). You can cancel your contract using the withdrawal form (see above “Is it possible to return my Holzkern-watch?”). Please place your new order in our online shop because we have to issue a new invoice.

As soon as we have received your watch, we will refund you the amount of your previous purchase :)

Size, How to adjust your strap

How do I find a watch in the correct size?

We've made an effort to offer a large variety of watch models in various sizes to ensure no wrist is left behind. The wooden watch bands can be easily adjusted using the spare links provided with your watch. Be sure to keep the remaining parts so you can swap out the links if you damage any on your watch. Our leather watch straps come in standard sizes for men and women. If you want to know the exact dimensions of our watches, please go to our online shop and check this information on the individual product pages under the heading "specifications".

How can I adjust a band with screws to the correct size?

How can I adjust a band with spring pins to the correct size?

How can I adjust a band with pins to the correct size?

The following videos will show you how to adjust the length your watch strap